TOMB RAIDER LARA CROFT QUESTION 2

2. Explain how each of the following is used to create effects

• soundtrack
• editing
• mise-en scene
• camerawork

(20 marks)

Soundtrack

The Diagetic sound of bow and arrow guns firing at Lara used by the villains is a key example of showing that Lara is under attack and at great danger. The enhanced sound of the guns makes the situation seem more risky and like Lara needs to escape. This continues for a while and builds up suspense and jeopardy. 

Another way in which sound is used to create an effect is when non diabetic fast pace chase music kicks in and builds up when pillars are falling into the water where Lara is swimming. This music has a constant beat to it and it sounds like lots of different drums getting louder and louder, This builds extreme tension as we fear for Lara and her life as she looks like she could drown. 

Editing

The slow motion editing of Lara struggling to swim through the water when she comes up for air is used to show her struggle. We see the pain in her face as she is beginning to lose faith. But as an audience we know she pulls it back and uses her resourcefulness to beat the villains. Slow motion is effective because it draws the attention to the characters expression and zones in on Laras fear. 

Another way in which editing is used is the CGI of the shark. Lara punches the shark as he comes nearer and the shark cries in agony. This creation of a beast is effective because it creates a spectacle and more problems for Lara to face, not only does she have to swim to the surface and beat the villains, she also has to fight off a bloodthirsty killer shark. 

Mise en scene

The contrast between the darkly coloured outfits the villains  are wearing and the warm colourful, brightly lit heroes. Lara is dressed in a grey bodysuit and her hair is slicked back into a long praid. Whenever the lighting is in her or the 2 greek men, its a golden lighting and whenever its on the villains, the whole screen changes to a dimly lit, darkened tone to show their evilness. The villains are dressed in all black and this provides a contrast between the two groups. 

The ancient ruins in the beginning and the prehistoric symbols on the pillars set the scene and introduce the genre very effectively. The use of high up columns show that Lara and the two men are in a very mysterious secret treasure cove. The lighting is also golden and dusty and This is effective because the audience see the beauty of the treasure they are here to collect. 

Camerawork

The crane shot at the start high up establishes the location and puts the people into perspective against the massive structure behind them.  This is done slowly and at the start to set the scene so the audience catch on to where the protagonists are, This crane shot is effective because it creates a sense of massiveness and greatness. 

Dutch titled canted angle shots are also used frequently throughout the extract to show uneasiness and the lack of stability when the ruins are collapsing. This effect creates tension because we put ourselves into the cameras position and it makes the audience feel as if they are trapped underneath rubble. This creates excitement and also a sense of danger as we are unsure if Lara will make it out alive. 

filming

16/01/2017 CONSTRUCTION: FILMING

Prior to the shot on Friday we asked a member of our group to bring in a black suit so he could act out the role of a manager at a big pharmacy company. I printed out some props in the form of news headlines reading things such as ‘big drug company’ and ‘superhuman drug testing’ I also printed out copies of blood types in boxes and the word FAIL written over them in red. This was to signify the drug not working.

In order to achieve our shoot we set out shots taken on a smartphone that would show in stages where everyone would be so we could map out the shot. We also checked out the location and moved any things that we wouldn’t want in the shot in advance. We are aiming to shoot the beginning of the sequence in the science lab using the photos from the smartphone to check we were doing everything right. We also aim to film the scene with Ross wearing his suit as a manager, looking at files on his desk. I hope we have enough time to achieve all of this in our lesson. If we work fast and set up the tripod correctly then we can achieve this.

Our cameraman will switch but it will mainly be Ross and when he is acting it will be myself or Jess. As a main actress I will self-direct but also take on comments from the other members of my team. Jess is in charge of the props and Ross has taken leadership of the costumes.

Are challenges are the fact that we need to find the right lighting and make sure that the image is crisp and clear on the camera. We also need to ensure that the camera is in focus at all times and to do this we will bubble the tripod correctly and have somebody check the camera or maybe do a test shot.

The risk assessment would be to ensure that everyone has brought the correct equipment and whilst carrying the cameras and tripods to the location, two people help instead of one, otherwise this could lead to dropping a camera on someone’s foot or hitting someone in the eye with a tripod.

CALL SHEET

Shoot date: Friday the 20^th of January 2017

Location:

Claremont Fan Court School

Portsmouth Road

Esher

Surrey

KT10 9LY

Crew:

Ross Paul      04RossP@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Ellie Morris   04ElenaM@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Jess Traeger 04JessicaT@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Camera Equipment:

. Camera

. Batteries

. Dolly

. Tripod

. Camera case

Lighting equipment:

. Light stands

. Spare bulbs

Props:

. Fake syringe

. File full of papers

Wardrobe: Main Character, suit.

Outfit – school uniform eg white shirt, black skirt, and black shoes

PLANNING- FINDING A DISTRIBUTER 

I looked at Launching Films, the Film Distributors' Association microsite. I found out how to pick the best distributer for your film and about distributers and how they work in general. I watched a video that talked about the role of distributers and what they do and this was helpful research to enable me to pick a suitable distributer. 

After consulting the list of distributers i decided to pick Verve for our indie sci fi movie. I felt that Verve represented our aims well and fitted our style. 

They specialise on producing low budget independent films. A couple of their most successful films are The Incident, Arabian Nights and In The Fog. there mission statement is - offering audiences the chance to enjoy original and thought provoking cinema from the UK and around the world. I think our film , Subject 45 would be perfect for this type of distributer as we plan to create something thats different and imaginative. Their strap line is 'cinema outside the box' which just sums up the idea that the films they produce are special and not your normal action movie with fast shots and special effects. They contain deeper messages and unusual shots and soundtracks. 

 OPENING CREDITS PLANNING

Pyramid films presents 
an Inkwell Production
Subject 45
Main Cast
Elena Morris
Jess Traeger
Richie Batey
Alex Mcceshney
Amin Captain
Ross Paul
Written by Ross Paul, Elena Morris and Jess Traeger
Produced by Elena Morris
Edited by Ross Paul
Directed by Jess Traeger

QI TV PROGRAMME ANALYSIS

I watched series N, episode 11
The genre of this programme is Game show comedy
The host of QI is Sandi Toksvig, the guests on this episode were Holly Walshe, Nish Kumar, Phil Jupitus and Alan Davies.
The Relationship between Toksvig and the panelists is very witty and quick. They bounce off eachothers humours and communicate with a high level of illentegence. The relationship between Alan Davies and Toskvig is slightly different as he is seen as the 'genial fall guy' so Toskvig laughs when he gets things wrong and has a funny buzzer sound
In the episode I watched it was all about 'nonsense'. I learnt that Glass Armonicas are beautiful instruments that are widely regarded for. Marie Antoinette even use to play it.
Its funny when Phil Jupitus reacts like he is throwing up when Toksvig shows a picture of a worm and how he reacts. This makes the other panellists laugh and the audience feel involved in the joke.
Toskvigs extended knowledge is shown when she is quick and on the point. She always seems to know a lot about everything and if  a guest brings up a subject she can often add interesting facts and insights to the conversation in an educational and informative way.
They are active as they laugh at all the right moments and occasionally join in with singing or shouting at Alan Davies.
Alan Davies is the Genial figure that is the one to make the mistakes before anyone else but not feel embarresed by that. He accepts this role and thats what is so humourous, the fact that he is involved in his own mishaps, when he hears his buzzer sound for example, he just laughs like he expects it. he is also relatable because he says the answers that some of the audience members are thinking.
It educates by having the purpose of talking about current things in the news, popular trends and political and religous affairs, but with also a lighthearted banter fulled side to it which makes it more appealing to more audiences such as young people that can relate to the quick witty humour.
Even though the audience do laugh and contribute slightly they are still powerless as they dont become involved in answering questions. 

B323 Section B Media Topic: Television and/or Radio comedy

Question 4 b): Discuss in detail how one programme offers audience pleasures. Give examples from the programme. 

I have chosen to analyse the audience pleasures of watching Miranda (BBC 1). I will give specific examples by close reference to episodes and by quotation.  

Miranda is mainstream family viewing, aimed at a target audience who would relate to middle class life. Miranda is a TV sitcom:socially inept Miranda always gets into awkward situations when working in her joke shop with best friend Stevie, being hounded by her pushy mother, and especially when she is around her crush Gary.

A comprehensive review of all four BBC TV channels by the governing trust (July 2014) found that BBC 1 could feel “middle class in focus and target audience" with Miranda cited as an example. They also found that the BBC is falling out of favour with younger people and BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic viewers). The average age of BBC1 viewers is 59, compared with 56 in 2010/11. However, the character of Miranda is also quite like a big child as she is unmarried, always making a fool of herself and getting into trouble with her mother, so I think that audiences such as young women, older women and even men who have upper class parents and possibly people that consider themselves quite clumsy, immature could relate to her and laugh at her mistakes. Audiences also relate to her relationship with her best friend Stevie  because they are two very different characters and the audience may have a best friend like Stevie or Miranda and they get to know the on screen relationship between them so they enjoy their typical immature fighting and sarcastic behaviour in certain situations. 

Miranda offers the pleasures of the sitcom genre, such as characters that are recognizable that the audience can relate to, who are stereotypes. Miranda's mother, for example, is your typical overbearing and overprotective upper class mother, she is only interested in finding Miranda a Man and she is willing to do anything to try to push her up the social ladder. She dresses very formally and always looks sophisticated unlike Miranda who looks lazy and casual. She is also Stereotypically very posh, we as an audience recognise her voice being in a RP style. 
Miranda's mother makes us laugh because she has certain phrases that she always says in every episode and we learn as an audience to expect them and laugh at Miranda's annoyance with her mother. 'such fun' is one of her commonly used phrases and she says this in every episode. She also makes us laugh because she is much like a lot of people's mothers so the audience laugh because they have experienced the same thing as Miranda so its more personal.
Miranda's group of girl friends are stereotypes. For example, Tilly her friend is the typical healthy, socialite who will order a salad instead of a pizza and goes to social events such as 'Henley Regatta' she is the polar opposite of Miranda and so when she goes out with her girl friends her immaturity and tendency to make a fool out of herself is amplified even more because she is so unlike her friends. Her friends are always dressed in colourful outfits and have their hair blow dried and their nails done, this emphasises that they are the stereotypically upper class surrey health mum. the audience can relate to them because they behave in a very normal and sociable way. 
Her girl friends often make us laugh at Miranda, such as in the episode when her friends say "she is probably half naked in public somewhere right now" when they are talking to Gary in the episode 'Dog' in series 1, miranda is actually hiding behind Gary, half naked. 
However, in many ways, Miranda is an anti-stereotype because she is not the typical slim attractive women, she is a larger clumsy lady with short hair and a compromising dress sense. 

There are many points of recognition for middle class audiences in the ways in which the sitcom addresses audience’s lifestyles, concerns, hopes, such as Miranda's conflict with her mother when she tries to throw Miranda a pride and prejudice themed party in order to set her up with a man. Her Mother forces her to come and the whole time Miranda is trying to find an excuse not to go. 

Another narrative strand that makes audiences relate to her is her trouble love life. To explain: Miranda often finds herself embarrassing herself in front of love interest Gary. Gary is a normal, down to earth guy and but it is still very much accepting of Miranda's behaviour. She says things in the moment which are silly and random and this often results in men staring at her in a strange way, for example in the holiday episode she asks the room service man to have dinner with her and he looks awkward and tries to run away. 

Each episode also features predictable running gags such as, for example, Miranda always somehow ends up half naked in public by anciently. She also often falls over and into things such as cars, Coat Racks, people and tables. Stevie always does her Heather Small impression and Tilly always says 'bear with' when she answers a text. 
Miranda always manages to lose her clothing, such as in the episode when Stevie and Miranda are at the park walking their dogs to try an impress a man they both refuse to leave which escalates to the park being closed. They have to climb through the gate and Stevie easily slides through but Miranda gets stuck. In an attempt to fit through she takes her jumper off so she is left in her bra and then coincidently, Gary walks past and finds her in this embarrassing state. 
Stevie and Miranda always compete for boyfriends, such as the episode when a man leaves his wallet in the joke shop, they find a self defence card in his wallet and so they both turn up to the class the next day, the man isn't there but Miranda still manages to make a fool out of herself. 
Miranda always embarrasses her friends socially, such as when she attends a french class she realises the teacher is her old french teacher from 20 years ago and she tries to get up and leave but the chair is stuck to her, the french teacher sees her and she says 'wrong room, on my way out' in a french accent. She then runs out into the corridor and falls flat on her face. 

The sitcom addresses audience’s lifestyles, concerns, hopes about relationships. Miranda always fails to explain her true feelings for Gary, such as when Gary is offered a job abroad and Clive says that he has been waiting for someone to tell him not to go Miranda tells us: "it was terrifyingly good acting" after she says she is pleased for Gary. 
She competes with, quarrels and makes up with Stevie, for example, a man leaves his wallet at the shop and his wallet has a picture of his dog so both of them go out to buy dogs and they both go to the park in hope to find the man. They argue over who has the 'allure' but in the end they both agree it was silly.
She gets scolded by her mother, such as in the episode when she asks her mother if she is ashamed of her and she replies with  "yes of course i am, ridiculous question"  

In most sitcoms, the audience is passive consumer but this show is filmed before a live studio audience. In addition, Miranda establishes a relationship with her audience by breaking the fourth wall, when she says or does something stupid she turns to the audience and makes a face or says something and at the beginning of every episode she talks to the camera very casually like your her friend, this is very rare for a sitcom. She confides in us, the audience her feelings, saying:  "I never really had an obvious career path" she talks to the audience very informally and tells us things she wouldn't tell anyone else so it feels personal and more involved. 

For Blumler and Katz, audiences use media to gratify needs (the uses and gratifications model of audience behaviour). Miranda offers the pleasure of entertainment, escapism and diversion by making us laugh. In particular, both slapstick humour and verbal humour entertain us. Examples of these include (three examples minimum) Miranda uses escapism because its easy humour, you don't have to concentrate intently to get the joke, its easy to watch and easy to lose yourself in an episode as there is always a lot of characters and different scenarios so it doesn't become boring easily. An example of entertainment is when Miranda falls over, most people find this funny and its typical humour, most episodes will provide entertainment and after a long day its common for people to sit down and watch something like Miranda. An example of diversion is when Miranda talks personally to the audience this makes you feel like you are having a coffee with a friend and it feels very natural. 

Audiences also like to relate to the characters in programmes;  I have shown that Miranda offers many points of recognition in its characters. It s also important that Miranda is a likeable character who does not hold grudges. For example, Even though it's clear her mother only wants for her to get married and doesn't care anything about her happiness or well-being, she still loves her and can accept her ways. She never gets angry and despite Stevie putting her down occasionally she is never upset. 
Audiences pick programmes with actors that they know and like. It is also significant that Miranda Hart is a well-known stand up comedian as well as having her own show. She has two books and a live show and appears on many comedy talk shows as a guest. 

Audiences tend to favour programmes that support their values and their sense of their own identity. Part of our sense of self is informed by making judgements about all sorts of people and things. This is also true of judgements we make about TV and film characters, and celebrities. The shows we watch, the stars we like can be an expression of our identities. One aspect of this type of gratification is known as value reinforcement. This is where we choose television programmes or newspapers that have similar beliefs to those we hold. Therefore, equally important is the upbeat, comic atmosphere of the show. Despite  set-backs such as being called sir often, for example, She makes it clear she is comfortable in her own skin and even though people say rude things about her, she is able to make jokes as well and not be sensitive. You never see her being unhappy or depressed about her current life she still displays a very excitable and happy attitude to everything despite her lack of social skills, she still has fun. 

Finally, audiences like to know what is going on in the world (surveillance). This relates to Maslow’s need for security. By keeping up to date with news about local and international events we feel we have the knowledge to avoid or deal with dangers. In a sitcom, the characters face all sorts of situations that we can experience vicariously, some of which are challenging, such as going on dates, going to the gym, finding jobs, and becoming an adult and being expected to be interested in getting married and having children. 

In conclusion, Miranda has a wide range of audience pleasures and people ranging from ages 15-70 can watch it and relate to one of the characters somehow. Miranda's traditional slapstick humour has been laughed at for years now and its a very popular show. The breaking of the fourth wall element, makes the audience feel that little bit more connected and that's what makes Miranda so enjoyable to watch. 

CALL SHEET

Shoot date: Friday 11^th November 2016

Location:

   Claremont Fan Court School

   Portsmouth Road

   Esher

   Surrey

KT10 9LY

 Crew:

Ross Paul      04RossP@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Ellie Morris   04ElenaM@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Jess Traeger 04JessicaT@claremont.surrey.sch.uk

Camera Equipment:

. Camera

. Batteries

. Dolly

. Tripod

. Camera case

Lighting equipment:

. Light stands

. Spare bulbs

Props:

. Fake syringe

. File full of papers

Wardrobe: Main Character

Outfit – school uniform eg white shirt, black skirt, black shoes